Sox catcher Flowers to have exploratory shoulder surgery

NEW YORK -- White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers will have exploratory surgery on his right shoulder Thursday and is expected to be out 3-6 months.

Flowers started Sunday’s game in Boston, but he returned home while the Sox began their three-game series with the Yankees on Monday.

Flowers said he first tweaked his shoulder a year ago and was put on a program for pitchers with shoulder injuries. The pain intensified before spring training, and he found out a couple of months ago he would need surgery. He said there is fraying in his shoulder, and the surgery will tell if the labrum has been damaged.

“When (anti-inflammatory drugs) wear off, you get the pain level and real feel,” Flowers said. “It was very extreme. It’s something that has to be done. I could continue but couldn’t perform at the level required by myself, my team or my teammates.”

Sox manager Robin Ventura said he noticed Flowers’ injury “when he couldn’t get anything on a throw to second as much as he had earlier in the year.”

Flowers had played in 192 games with the Sox since 2009. He took over the starting role at the beginning of the season, but his playing time had fallen off in the last two months after catcher Josh Phegley arrived in July.

“The starting job was definitely a driving force to exhaust every option I could,” Flowers said. “I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity and did everything to avoid missing out.”

Flowers was hitting .195 with 10 home runs and 24 RBIs in 84 games this season. He hit a home run in Sunday’s game.

“Defensively he’s been what you wanted,” Ventura said. “He calls a great game, does stuff around the plate that you like. Offensively it’s just been a down year. He’s going to have to fight his way back offensively to be that guy. Everybody has the potential. His potential is there to do it.”

The White Sox called up catcher Bryan Anderson from Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday, and Miguel Gonzalez also is expected to join the Sox in New York.